This invention relates to franking machines which are used to impress a franking impression on mail items.
Known franking machines comprise a postage meter supported on a base in which the postage meter includes a print drum for printing franking impressions on mail items and electronic circuits for carrying out accounting and control functions in relation to operation of the postage meter. The print drum carries a printing die for printing an invariable pattern of a franking impression and a set of print wheels having type characters on their peripheries. Mechanisms are provided for setting the print wheels so as to print a required value of postage charge in the franking impression. The print wheel setting mechanisms are controlled by the electronic accounting and control circuits and the accounting circuits maintain accounting records which are updated during each franking operation to take into account the value of postage used. An electric drive motor is located in the base of the machine and drive from the motor is mechanically coupled to the print drum to cause rotation thereof through a single revolution in each franking operation.
Such franking machines have complex mechanisms and this together with the power drive to the print drum results in the franking machines being relatively costly to manufacture. Furthermore the motor drive results in the machine being heavy.